LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE
Haya Water is looking at raising its standards and pushing forward restructuring that will eventually help it expand into the region.
BIOGRAPHY
Hussain Hassan Ali Abdul Hussain became the CEO of Haya Water in 2012. He brings with him 24 years of experience in oil and gas projects, business operations, and commercial developments in Oman. He graduated from the University of Arizona and spent 14 years working for Petroleum Development Oman.
What were your key highlights of 2019, and how do they reflect your strategy for both the short and medium-term?
The key achievement of 2019 was we started commissioning the Al Amarat plant, which was delayed for a few years. We also finished two projects linked to Al Amarat that allowed us to increase the number of connected people—from 116,000 to 126,000 in Muscat and from 34,000 to 39,000 in RG. We managed to install IVMS on all yellow tankers, which led to an increased number of trips to STP with the wastewater tankers from close to 250,000 to almost half a million. From a technology point of view, one of the key projects for us is converting sludge into energy, and we will spend more resources on that. Our focus is to move quickly, especially for the big project execution, hoping to get more funds in the coming years. There is a long way to go, especially in reverse osmosis, where connectivity is almost 4-6%. Within these short-term targets, our medium-term strategy is to expand internationally. This big picture thinking will allow us to solve our local issues and raise our standards, pushing forward a restructuring that will then help us expand into the GCC and other Arab countries.
What does the new PPP law mean for the utilities, and where do you see gaps within Oman's wastewater industry?
A new PPP and Privatization Law were implemented at the end of 2019, which shows how seriousness the government is about private partner involvement. On our side, we are looking to engage with a private player in the Misfaa STP project to help bring funds and develop it faster, better, and cheaper than Haya Water. We want to learn from them, as this will help our goals for international expansion.
How is this increased efficiency playing a role in the push to get SMEs into the ecosystem?
SMEs are key for Haya Water, and we started looking at them in 2013, before Riyaada was established in the market. We had a plan as part of our 2014 KPIs to develop and support SMEs, and we have already won two awards from Riyaada as a large company supporting SMEs. In 2019, we awarded contracts to 10 SMEs to do wet connections in Al Amarat, and they are doing an excellent job at a lower cost than main contractors. Slowly, small projects around OMR1-1.5 million can be given to SMEs. When water pipes are short and straight, it is easy; however, with wastewater, the pipes are longer in different directions, and it can be difficult for SMEs to take on such projects. We slowly gear them up for that. In 2019 and 2020, we carried out training programs for SMEs in three batches, 47 SMEs in 2020 alone. We instructed them on how to bid for projects, bookkeeping, and finance, and how to prevent the common mistakes made when bidding for our jobs.
What are your strategic priorities for 2020?
The market is extremely dynamic at the moment, and there are many forces. COVID-19 has driven oil prices to below USD30, and, as the budget was based on USD58, on a daily basis we lose USD28 million. Therefore, we have to borrow that money in order to meet the budget requirements, and we are all affected by the developments. The government has told us how much we will get this year; however, if it does not have money, we will have to reduce our budget. We need to work through those scenarios and risks, as 2020 has been a challenging year.
LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Future foreign policy
Friends to all, enemy to none
In championing the late Sultan Qaboos' non-interference foreign policy, the new ruler of Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, is determined to work for friendship and peace, justice and harmony, and coexistence and positive constructive dialogue.
read articleInterview
David Kalife, CEO, Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO)
Despite Oman's fuel market slowing down, OOMCO increased its sales volume of lubricants by 36% in 2019 and is constructing a greenfield bunker terminal at the Port of Duqm. The company has transformed while growing its expertise in Marketing and Digital.
read articleInterview
Azzan Al Busaidi, CEO, Ithraa
Azzan Al Busaidi is an expert in competitiveness and economic growth. He was appointed CEO of Ithraa in 2019 after 17 years spent covering managerial roles in the organization. Al Busaidi was previously Ithraa's director general of planning and studies and is a strong advocate of the potential of digitization. He holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde and a BSc in Economics from Sultan Qaboos University.
read articleInterview
Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry & Investment Promotion & Former Chairman, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Private Omani companies will be able to benefit greatly from the Fourth Industrial Revolution by enhancing their local value-added strategies and upskilling the workforce.
read articleInterview
Tahir Bin Salim Bin Abdullah Al Amri, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman (CBO)
The Central Bank of Oman's job is to ensure there is adequate liquidity in the system and that banks remain robust and resilient to meet the credit requirements of all segments without undermining financial stability.
read articleB2B
Capital markets
CMA and MSM are supporting Vision 2040 by providing financing to government companies that intend to go public, financing expansion of existing and new IPOs, and widening the investors base in Oman by enhancing and developing the investment funds and insurance industries.
read articleInterview
Khalid Al Balushi, CEO, Khazaen Economic City
International investors and business owners can benefit from Khazaen Economic City's strategic location and its close proximity to the main gateways of the country to import, process, manufacture, distribute locally, and export their goods and services.
read articleFocus: Port 4.0
Destined for greatness
Investments in world-class infrastructure have generated huge rewards for Oman. The goal now is to leverage technology as a disruptive enabler, build human capacity across the public and private logistics sectors, and drive operational efficiencies to build an integrated logistics business environment that is benchmarked against the world's best.
read articleFocus: Gap in tourism services
All bases covered
An amalgamation of local companies and unique experiences in Oman has created an original flavor that is further differentiating Oman's tourism offering from other countries and in the process attracting scores of tourists from all across the world.
read articleB2B
Engineering design
Renardet Engineering Consultants and Design Unit Engineering are recognized experts in their fields. While the former is an international company strongly committed to excellent engineering consultancy services and environmental practices, the latter is an Oman-based team of architects and engineers that incorporates local culture and traditions.
read articleB2B
Construction materials
Oman's construction sector is facing a host of challenges, but Hempel Paints and Al Maha Ceramics are confident that a mix of forward-thinking business models, unique products, and strong government initiatives will help them through turbulent times and generate positive returns in the long run.
read articleInterview
Salim Razvi, CEO, Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA)
Focusing on higher education institutional accreditation, program accreditation, and the updating and maintaining of the Oman Qualifications Framework, OAAA is helping further advance higher education in the Sultanate.
read article